Mail-bag-receiving device.



D. W. MILLSAPS.

MAIL BAG REGEfVING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 28, 1912 1,083,629 Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

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D. W. MILLSAIPS. MAIL BAG nncmvme DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1912. v

' Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

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- UNITED STATES. PATENT orFioE.

DANIEL W. MILLSAPS, OF MARION, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MILLSAPS MAIL EXCHANGE COMPANY, OF MARION, SOUTH CAROLINA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

MAIL-BAG-RECEIVING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL W. MILLsArs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Marion and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag- Receiving Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for receiving mail bags from a moving train and it consists in improvements on the device shown in my Patent No. 914,442, March 9, 1909.

My patent above mentioned discloses means for automatically transferring mail bags from the train to the ground and at the same time transferring bags from the ground to the train, and the present invention is an improvement on that part of the device which is located on the ground.

The novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a view in elevation taken at right angles to the view of Fig. 1, showing diagrammatically a mail car; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the lines 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the automatic means for releasing the receiving device, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the ends of the supporting arms.

As shown in these drawings my device embodies the box 50, which is adapted to be closed by doors 51, held fastened by a lock 52. The inclined chutes 53, 54 extend upwardly at an angle from opposite sides of the box parallel to the railroad track and these chutes are adapted to receive mail bags hung on arms 28, extending outward from the door of the mail car 55. In the chutes are inclined hinged plates 56, supported by springs 57 for the purpose of breaking the force of the bags as they pass down the chute and into the box 50. The bottom of the box has holes 58 therein to permit the escape of any water which may enter the box and there is a perforated false bottom 59 which supports the bags at a point above any possible contact with water on the bottom of the box. The outer ends of the chutes have secured to them the downwardly extending arms 60 which travel in slots formed in the parts 61. The box itself is mounted to-move up to or away from the track 62, traveling on its own track 63 at right angles to the railroad track. Any suitable antifrictio'n means may be used for permitting easy movement of the box on its track and as shown this means consists of the axles 64 carrying the rollers 65 at their ends, these rollers running on the track rails 66. The rails 66 are arranged at an incline, the ends toward the railroad track being highest so that the box will normally tend to move on the track back away from the railroad. This inclination is the means which 1 preferably use for making the box normally tend to move from the track but it will be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular means. Suitable covers 67 may be placed over the rails 66 to protect them from snow and ice. The downwardly extending supports 60 have their lower ends cut at an angle, as shown in Fig. 5, and the grooves in the part 61 have an inclined stop 68 at their ends nearest the track so that when the box is moved up to the track the supports 60 will make contact with the stop furnishing a support for the ends of the chutes and tending to steady the device when mail bags are discharged into the chute.

Mounted on the box 50 there are upwardly extending posts 69 and cross members 70 may be connected to these posts and to the ends of the chutes to strengthen the apparatus. The posts 69 have bag supporting arms 71 hinged to their upper ends at 72 and these arms extend when in operative position horizontally across the posts, being overbalanced at the rear end 73 whereby they will tend to turn to a vertical position. At their forward ends there are bag supporting arms 74, these arms extending across the arms 71 and being adapted to support a bag at each end, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 1. In order to provide an automatic means for holding the box in position up to the track when it is intended to deliver mail bags and in order to automatically release it as the mail car passes so that it will move back from the track after delivering the bags, I make use of the mechanism shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 5. A vertically movable rod 75 is held on the side of the post 69 by eyes 76 through which the rod slides and the ing in one direction. The lower end of the rod will make contact with this dog riding over it as the box is moved up to the track and the dog will then automatically assume a position beyond the end of the rod and will serve as a stop to hold the box against movement down the track away from the railroad. A link arm 79 is secured to the upper end of the rod '75 and to the arm 71 on the side next to the railroad so that when the arm 71 swings on its hinge to a vertical position the rod 75 will be raised out of engagement with the dog 77 and the box will be released so that it will automatically travel back away from the track. So long as the mail bags 80 are hanging on the arm 71 it will be held in horizontal position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, but when those bags are caught by the receiving plate 1 on the mail car 55, the arm 71 will automatically turn on its hinge. The mail bags received by the chutes 53 and 5 h are carried by arms 28 extending out from the mail car door below the mail-catching device 1 and it will be understood that the upper edge of the chutes at their open ends will engage the bags or the straps supporting the bags so as to releasethem from their carrying arms and the bags will automatically travel down the chute into the box 50.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific mechanism for releasing the box as the mail car passes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a railroad track, of a box by the side of said track, inclined chutes for receiving mail entering said box on opposite sides, substantially parallel with .said track, rollers for said box, a track for said rollers leading up to said railroad track, and a stop for limiting the movement of said box toward said railroad track.

2. The combination with a railroad track, of a box by the side of said track, inclined chutes for receiving mail entering said box on opposite sides, substantially parallel with said track, rollers for said box, a track for said rollers leading up to said railroad track, a stop for limiting the movement of said box toward saidrailroad track, posts carried by said box, and mail-delivering arms carried by said posts.

8. The combination with a railroad track,

of a box by the side of said track, inclined chutes for receiving mail entering said box on oppositesides, rollers for said box, a track for *said rollers leading up to said railroad track, downwardly projecting arms'on the ends of said chutes, and inclined sup-- porting stops on which said arms rest when the box is moved up to the railroad track.

a. The combination with a railroad track, of a box by the side of said track, inclined chutes for receiving mail entering said box on opposite sides, rollers for said box, a

track for said rollers leading up to said railroad track, and means for positively sup-v porting theout'er ends o f said chutes when moved up to the track.

5. The combination with a railroad track, of a mail bag receiving device including an inclined chute arranged along said track, means permitting the free movement of said device toward and from said track, posts carried by said device, hinged arms carried by said. posts at the top, and reversible means at the forward ends of said arms for supporting mail bags and means for automatically turning said arms on their pivots when said bags are removed.

6. The combination with a railroad track of a mail-receiving chute arranged along and movable up to or away from said track with its end in such position when moved up a passing train, means tending normally to move said chute back away from said track and releasable means for holding said chute up to the track.

7. The combination with a railroad track of a mail-receiving chute arranged along and movable up to or away from said track with its end in such position when moved up to the track as to receive a mail bag from.

a passing train, means tending normally to move said chute back away from said track, releasable means for holding said chute up to the track, and automatic means for re leasing said holding means as the. mail :car passes. f

8. The combination with a railroad track of a mail-receiving chute arranged along and movable up to or away from said track with its end in such position when moved up to the track as to receive a mail bag from a passing train, means tending normally to move said chute back away from said track, releasable means for holding said chuteup to the track, means carried by said chutefor delivering a mail bag to th'epassing mail car and means operated by the delivery of said bag for releasing said holding means.

9. The combination with a railroad track of a box carrying a mail-receiving chute, rollers for supporting said box, tracks for said rollers leading at an upward incline to said railroad track, a-nautomatic catch for engaging and holding said box when moved up to said railroad in operative position, and means for releasing said catch. 7

10. The combination with a railroad track of a box carrying a mail-receiving chute,

rollers for supporting said, box, tracks for said rollers leadlng at an upward incline to to the track as to receive a mail bag from said railroad track, an automatic catch for engaging and holding said box when moved up to said railroad in operative position, a post carried by said box, a mail-delivering arm extending across said post hinged thereto so as to swing in a vertical plane and overbalanced at the end farthest from the railroad, and means connected to said arm for releasing said catch when the arm swings upward.

11. The combination with a railroad track of a mail-receiving device movable up to and away from said track including a mailreceiving chute, means tending to move said device away from said track a catch for 15 operated by the turning of said arm for 20 releasing said catch.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL W. MILLSAPS.

Witnesses D. F. HARRELL, T. C. EASTERLING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

